Melanie Greblo

Executive Director

Mel Greblo's driving purpose is to co-create change - for ourselves, business and the planet. It began as a child, with a hunger for learning, a devotion to social justice and a deep curiosity in people.

Prior to joining Impact Asia Pacific,she was the Founder & Director of Talking Sticks, curators and hosts of an annual program of immersive experiences with international thought leaders, transforming conversations.

A serial social entrepreneur, prior to founding Talking Sticks in 2011, Mel led two national social enterprises as Chief Executive and in her senior executive roles, helped build the brands of many of Australia’s great educational, social, cultural and art institutions. She has held senior leadership roles in executive strategy, marketing, communications, and development.

She has three children, has a thirst for learning, a love of nature, books, poetry, literature, art, the ocean, music and writing. She has a firm commitment to giving back, and a passion for social change at end of life and is currently Chair of the Board at The Groundswell Project.

alex feher

Co-Founder & Project Director

Alex was co-founder with Rob Irving of a conference and events company eventually acquired by SoftBank Expos. He then became CEO of Australian operations for Ziff-Davis, a listed global IT media company across events, internet and publishing. Brands under his management included COMDEX, Interop, ZDNet, PC Week and PC Magazine. He is former director at the Institute of Human Excellence together with Niran Jiang and coaching pioneer Sir John Whitmore.

Currently Alex is principal of Culture Works, a consultancy that assists organisations to build values driven cultures. He is passionate about helping organisations find their purpose, develop their leadership and create a thriving culture from within. Alex co-authored “Master CEO’s” with fund manager Matthew Kidman and has served as a director in public and NFP organisations. He is also a director of Impact Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, the producer of the Summit.

rob irving

Co-Founder & Brand Director

With an intense curiosity, commitment and passion around what makes people, businesses and brands tick, Rob’s career spans top management, coaching, not-for profit enterprises, event marketing and business development.

Rob has had extensive involvement in the corporate event business in partnership with Alex Feher. In 2014, he contributed to the successful launches of Google inspired Search Inside Yourself program and the inaugural Mindful Leadership Global Forum Sydney. As executive, off-site leader, speaker coach and co-founding partner of Forté (in 1992) focused on igniting performance and talent, clients include CBA, Colonial First State, Google, Lend Lease, RBA, STW, The Eventful Group, Westpac, among others.

Rob has held CEO positions spanning 20 years at global ad agency, J Walter Thompson - in Johannesburg, Cape Town, London and Sydney. He is Pitch Director of The Funding Network, a not-for-profit organisation, Ambassador and former Chair of the SchoolAid Board - empowering kids to help kids in need via Australia’s first kids crowd funding platform kidsgive.com.au.

ranya alkadamani

Strategic Communications Director

Ranya is founder of Impact Group International, an experienced team of experts focused on strategic communications advice for philanthropists, corporate shared value initiatives and innovative social impact programs. She is a communications strategist, with experience in working across media markets and for high profile people, including one of Australia’s leading philanthropists, Andrew Forrest and Australia’s then Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

Ranya has personally been behind the global launches of the Walk Free Global Slavery Index, which reached more than a billion people through media coverage. Under Ranya’s leadership, the Impact Group creates communications strategies that maximise whole-of-corporation benefit. The team aligns communications for varying corporate strategic goals, leveraging corporate strengths and delivering and optimising public relations outcomes.

Lydia Hascott

Program Manager

Lydia is most simply described as an enabler of pioneering ideas - helping organisations and changemakers to ‘know what they don’t know’ and plot concrete steps forward in environments of high change and ambiguity. With a sleeves rolled up approach, Lydia is at her best when working alongside visionaries to design and implement strategies that bring game-changing ideas to life.

A ‘commercial creative’, Lydia has designed and delivered experiential learning programs for entrepreneurs, children, educators and the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship, South Africa. In 2016 Lydia co-designed and delivered more than 20 workshops, programs and events for startups within 9 months, working with 1000+ entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders.

Lydia thrives on opportunities to learn fast and execute faster. She is particularly effective working on projects where pioneering thought leadership must be transformed into meaningful action.

With tertiary degrees in Commerce, Sociology and Social Innovation, Lydia is best positioned at the intersection of profit and purpose. She is a strong advocate for emerging models of ”profit for purpose” business, having consulted to, mentored and advised a range of impact entrepreneurs across Australia and New Zealand.

A firm believer that a business only grows as fast as its people, Lydia is actively involved in several leadership development initiatives. Since 2008 she has facilitated at the National Student Leadership Forum and Aspiring Leaders’ Forum (hosted annually at Australia and NZ parliaments) and spent six years as a community youth centre volunteer.